Truthear Nova IEMs

[Matias]

I am using medium size silicone tips as I am not a fan of foam tips and both dual flange tips did not seal right for me, and uncomfortable too. Driving the IEMs with the amazing Tanchjim Space and a 4.4 mm balanced cable too. BTW within this price range a multi connector cable should be mandatory, like Aria 2 now includes.

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Edit: I listened to all 3 side by side with the same song, dongle and cable.

7Hz Salnotes Zero is the smallest and lightest. Bass is also the least of all 3, especially deep bass is missing, but has some bass thump. Highs are also less pronounced, so overall a mid-centric, very nicely tuned IEM.

Truthear Zero Red is by far the warmest, with thicker bass and lower mids, somewhat recessed treble. But also its sound is super comfortable, I can listen to it all day. A shame the ergonomics is the most clunky of all 3, although medium sized.

Truthear Nova is the largest, but fits my ear like a glove. Less middle bass compared to the other 2, with more sub bass and less thump. Brighter signature with the most amount of treble of all. Makes for clean and resolving sound, but I fear it becomes too clinical and possibly fatiguing? I will see more the next few weeks.

 

[PeterNL]

They may be cheaper through AliExpress on 11.11 as you can stack discounts. You are still buying from Shenzhen Audio (Truthear are exclusive to them) but more discounts.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006131780092.html

• 11.11 Sale price: US $131.99
• $4 off every $20 max $16 = -$16
• 5% coins = -$6.60 (if you have them- maybe a bit less or more depending on whether this is calculated after the other discounts, or if you buy from the coins page can be higher than 5%. Nova is showing a 6% / $8.92 coin discount for me on that page now, and the coin discount % can also go way up from that in sales)
• site-wide final checkout page coupon $15 off $100 11OT11 = -$15 (there are several codes for this discount, 11SALE15 is another)

= $94.39, or $100.99 if you don't have any coins (you can start collecting them now if you are bothered, and get a few more $ off)

Too good to be true, banner says $131.99 but price is different $159.71
I am in Nederland.

 

[Blorg]

 

[Blorg]

Too good to be true, banner says $131.99 but price is different $159.71

That's 21% VAT for the Netherlands. $131.99 * 1.21 = $159.71

There are additional discounts though, $16 "spend & save" and you can use code FROX15 on checkout for an extra $15. Coins, if you have them. But should be able to get it down to ~$122 or so even including the VAT. Possibly even a little lower.

 

[PeterNL]

That's 21% VAT for the Netherlands. $131.99 * 1.21 = $159.71

Thanx for clarifying.

 

[otseiTiesto]

Yesterday I received an email from "shenzhenaudio" and apparently you also get "Tax & Duty-Free for 50+ countries" .
If so, from "shenzhenaudio.com" the total price (shipping included) is: 125,63€ or $127,49.

At aliexpress (shenzhenaudio store) the best price I can get is 135,96€ or $137,97 (all included, shipping, taxes, etc), not much difference (if taxes and customs are really included when buying directly from "shenzhenaudio.com").

 

[otseiTiesto]

Now it is also available on Amazon (Spain) for 135,14€ (NOVA-SHIROI).

 

[Mhoomans]

Shout out to shenzhenaudio! I bought the Nova for normal price two+ weeks ago and today I received a refund for the price difference between the 11.11 sale and what I payed. Makes the Nova even more of an amazing bargain!

 

[Plumbus the Wise]

So at the end of the day if you are a huge fan of the Truthear Zero (og blue) are the Nova's worth the upgrade for essentially triple the price or are we looking at more of a side grade? If so what's the best logical route to keep similar sound signature...

 

[Mhoomans]

So at the end of the day if you are a huge fan of the Truthear Zero (og blue) are the Nova's worth the upgrade for essentially triple the price or are we looking at more of a side grade? If so what's the best logical route to keep similar sound signature...

For me the answer is yes. I enjoyed the Zero Blue a lot and now I'm enjoying the Nova a lot. I've been going back and forth between the Nova and Zero Blue in a variety of songs and although it wasn't a blind test (impossible because the Nova are much more comfortable in my ears), everytime the difference is so easy to spot, in favour of the Nova. But *for my ears* this is not the case with the default silicon tips. It becomes a bit boring and it lacks a certain clarity and air. Not bad, but not an upgrade over the Zero Blue imho.

I know I'm repeating myself like a broken record with the foam tips, but the difference is so big. I don't like foam tips at all but it sounds so good I can't go back to the default silicon tips.

The dual flange silicon tips (the black one) also sound good but isn't comfortabel for my ears at all. Seeing both this one and the foam tip are wide bore, I'm guessing that's what I need in another silicon tip.

Is the Nova worth 3 times the Zero Blue? For me yes, but this is something personal, I can't say for other people if this is the case.

 

[sharock]

I have the Red, Blue, and 7Hz Zero and do not EQ.

I really don't understand how anyone could not use EQ.

 

[markanini]

Well, if you're not adjusting your EQ all the time to compensate for wildly different master recordings, it's all kind of moot.

I disagree. This might be down to me using more manual, and generally lighter EQ than most. For instance My Truthear Red EQ is a 1.5dB boost above 7kHz.

 

[Dazerdoreal]

I often EQ headphones, but I usually do not EQ IEMs.

a) I want to use IEMs on a wide rage of devices.
b) IEMs are so-well tuned nowadays that with the right eartip you should not need to EQ them.
c) IEMs are less prone to variancy between users.

When I buy a headphone, I usually know in advance that some aspect of the frequency response will be not optimal.
When I buy an IEM, my hope/expectation is that EQ is not necessary. There are well-tuned budget IEMs for all kinds of preferences nowadays.

I sometimes create EQ presets for IEMs, but I hardly use them because they usually dont feel necessary.

 

[markanini]

Too bad that the multidriver IEMs I like don't have consistent enough FR across devices.

 

[markanini]

How do you handle the bass, mid, or treble being up or down in dB between recordings? Seems like never ending adjustment of EQ is necessary. Unless every master recording uses the same exact standard reference, which is hardly the case, a one stop EQ setting is about the same as using one non-EQ IEM for a range of different recordings. At best it's a compromise.

Matching EQs, or highly transformative EQs, turn out particularly bad for that reason IME. Other than avoiding that I stick to IEMs and EQ adjustments that give me the most consistent playback across the largest amount of recordings. To help know tell that I've achieved a good allround response I have curated a library of songs, with some deliberately challenging inclusions: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/headphone-and-iem-killer-tracks.44973/

 

[Blorg]

Too bad that the multidriver IEMs I like don't have consistent enough FR across devices.

This is only an issue if you have sources with relatively high output impedance. It's relatively easy to get very low OI sources these days, close to 0 ohms; most IEMs aren't going to be significantly impacted if OI is kept below 1 or 2 ohms.

 

[markanini]

This is only an issue if you have sources with relatively high output impedance. It's relatively easy to get very low OI sources these days, close to 0 ohms; most IEMs aren't going to be significantly impacted if OI is kept below 1 or 2 ohms.

In some sectors of audio gear below 2Ohm is somewhat rare. Here's a table of audio interfaces, only 1 of 5 fulfil the spec. Rarer still on other types of equipment aimed at content creation like mixing consoles, stage monitor systems, field recorders, guitar amps, and DSPs etc. When collaborating on musical projects I bring my Fiio A3 and an assortment of cables to hear a correct monitor FR on location.

 

[Mhoomans]

I used to have a mild EQ on my Zero Blue, but with the Nova, I finally settled for no EQ. Does all songs sound equally amazing? No, but I'm not going to set an unique EQ for each and every song, that would be too time consuming.

 

[sharock]

I used to have a mild EQ on my Zero Blue, but with the Nova, I finally settled for no EQ. Does all songs sound equally amazing? No, but I'm not going to set an unique EQ for each and every song, that would be too time consuming.

No, buy a pair of IEMs for every song!

 

[markanini]

No, buy a pair of IEMs for every song!

You haven't truly enjoyed your songs until you switched IEMs between the bridge and chorus!